Over an extended period, vinegar may accelerate the dulling of your hardwoods. An alternative natural cleaning solution is warm water and dish soap (1/4 cup of dish washing liquid for a bucket of warm water). For spot cleaning needs, sprinkle baking soda on the affected area and scrub with a sponge.
Dish soap: Put a few drops of liquid dish soap on a cotton ball, dip it in a small amount of warm water, and test on an inconspicuous spot. If it proves safe, mix a few drops of soap in a cup of water and dampen a soft cloth to wipe down your furniture. This mixture is ideal for sticky spots.
Avoid using water and vinegar, soap-based cleaners, wax or steam cleaners on hardwood floors. Vinegar and water can dull the floor's finish over time, while soap and wax leave a residue. Steam cleaners put heat and excessive water on your floor, which can lead to cupping and long-term damage.
Non-water liquids will leave sticky spots that will become more noticeable when dirt collects there, not to mention when you step on it and feel the grimy stickiness. Do not use soaps, waxes or polishes. Soaps leave residue. Wax creates unnecessary buildup on the surface and makes the floor slippery.
In most homes, the best wood floor cleaner is plain old soap and water, and the only tools you need are a broom, vacuum, and mop. The best mop for wood floors is a microfiber flat-head or string mop you can easily wring out.
Water You Using to Clean Your Floors? You can safely use Swiffer products on hardwood floors. For a quick clean, try Swiffer WetJet Wood Starter Kit. With just the right amount of solution, it breaks up tough, sticky messes, brings out the natural beauty of your floors and won't damage them.
Try 1/4 cup of mild or pH-neutral soap (like liquid dishwashing soap) or Murphy Oil Soap (despite the name, it doesn't contain oil) to a bucket of water. Don't use oils, waxes or furniture sprays.
Ammonia. Ammonia is a pungent chemical that has many cleaning uses in your home, but it should never be used on hardwood floors. “The ingredient damages the surface and dissolves the lignin in the wood,” explains Leanne Stapf, chief operating officer at The Cleaning Authority.
You can also use Pine-Sol® Original Squirt 'N Mop®. It's safe for wood and hard, nonporous surfaces. You can apply it to the floor directly from the bottle.
Bona's mop distributes cleaning solution more evenly than the Swiffer WetJet. Bona's mop head is significantly wider (15 inches) than Swiffer's (9 inches), which makes it easier to clean large rooms but more difficult to navigate in small spaces. Bona's spray mop comes with a reusable microfiber mop pad.
Ultimately, traditional mops are still the best option for deep cleaning. You can put more pressure on the head, and you can use any cleaning solution (rather than the Swiffer-only options) and as much of it as you need.
A Swiffer mop can make your floors sticky because of the following reasons: You have overused the cleaner in the Swiffer mop, and it's causing a build-up. You are spraying a relatively large area, and the cleaner from the Swiffer mop is drying before you mop it up, leading to sticky spots on your floor.
While a Swiffer is a great tool for everyday cleaning (especially if you vacuum first), don't use it if there's a lot of dirt or other debris on your floors. These bigger messes might be a better job for the Swiffer WetJet, or a regular mop or vacuum.
I was impressed at how well the Swiffer WetJet managed to trap dirt and scrub off those old stains, even just using the standard cleaning pad. I was impressed at how well the Swiffer WetJet managed to trap dirt and scrub off those old stains, even just using the standard cleaning pad.
These are great as dusters so the dirt doesn't fly through the air and gets stuck to the brush instead. Good for multiple uses so it's worth the price. I used to dust with the swiffer sweepers but these with the little flaps work much better to do a better dusting job.
Mop Hardwood Floors
Heavily used areas should be cleaned more often, every week or two. Another way to clean hardwood floors is to use a flat mop and hardwood floor cleaner, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop, and they clean really nicely with a streak-free finish. However, avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods, as they're more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture.
The original Swiffer cloths are dry and are made of simple materials, like polyester fibers, that create static cling for dirt. These dry rags are not naturally disinfecting. They will pick up debris from the floor, but you're leaving all germs behind in those sticky messes and pawprints.
Monthly schedule – polish
Polish wood floors every 2-4 months, depending on the traffic in your home, to add extra shine and protection. Hardwood floor polish renews and refreshes the finish that protects your floor.
Yes, Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner is safe for use on your sealed, and unwaxed or unoiled hardwood looking plank porcelain tile floor.
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner does not need to be diluted with water, and there's no need to wait for the cleaning solution to dissolve dirt.
Bona products are specially designed to protect floors and the environment. Bona cleaners won't dull your floors or leave behind any residue. Find the perfect products to clean, shine and protect your floors.
Yes the product can be used with the Bona mop specifically, however it is recommended that you use a microfiber mop and a spray bottle of some sort so that the product is applied evenly. Also make sure not to pour the product directly on the floor. 1 of 1 found this helpful.
The most common causes of a hazy or cloudy film on hardwood floors after cleaning are a buildup of floor cleaner, wax buildup, trapped moisture, and bad floor cleaners. All these can make wood floors appear to have a milky, white substance on top of the surface even after cleaning.
Use a damp-mop with a flat-head mop and microfiber pad or a microfiber string mop that has been thoroughly wrung out when it looks dingy. Move with the grain, and control the amount of cleaning solution by using a spray bottle, aiming for a heavy mist or gentle squirt of about a half teaspoon per 2 square feet.